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The Musings blog is the space where our team of design and business thinkers comes together to share what inspires us. We'll discuss all things design thinking, from customer ethnography to rapid prototyping to innovation strategy and beyond.

As a proud Android user, it was hard not to notice Apple’s announcement of the iPhone 6 and Apple Watch last month. Apple’s ability to combine great hardware with great software designs can tempt even the most loyal Android user to convert to the their ecosystem — a sin of which I am guilty.

So after the announcement, I sifted through the new phone's features and specs and was surprised to realize this: all of the new features of the iPhone were already part of my Android! Also, the watch they unveiled is considered by some as a “late” entry to the wearable tech industry relative to their competitors.

I had to ask myself: did Apple even introduce anything new? There was an outbreak on social media mocking the “upgrade” Apple shared and their competitors did not hesitate to take jabs. But you know what? I think Apple is completely fine with that.

While other firms like Google and Samsung had the first-mover advantage in introducing mobile payments and wearable tech, respectively, the public adoption rate remains low. In a CNET article on the Apple launch, the authors suggest that Apple’s late entry to the wearable space is what Google and other competitors need right now. There is one quote in the article that encapsulates Apple’s branding power.

"It lifts the wearables space for everyone. The general public might now actually care about this stuff." - Weston Henderek, the Director for connected devices at the NPD Group

Apple, in numerous instances, proved that the brand’s reach and presence in the general public is far superior to any first-mover advantage other firms have. It is an advantage they may not relinquish in the foreseeable future, but it is something that other firms strongly rely on for their success. And that’s an unfair advantage.

What do you think of the new Apple products? Let me know. Leave a comment below or message me @jimmy_tran